THE LAND OF GOLD

In a sequel to The Dragon and the Thief (1991), the benign and articulate dragon Hathor and her Klutzy but quick-witted Egyptian friend Prahotep join forces with an indomitable Nublan princess. Kandaki wakes to the sounds of her parents' murder; she escapes because the usurper hopes to marry her. Foiled by her intransigence, he dispatches her to be fed to a water dragon; fortunately, our dragon and friends intervene, and are soon involved in reclaiming Kandaki's rightful place on the Nubian throne. With sieges, attacks, and a march across a monster-infested desert, there's plenty of action; even more fun are the ways Prahotep and Kandaki outwit their enemies--unobtrusively but effectively, Bradshaw makes the point that many different talents are valuable, especially in concert. In the end, Prahotep's characteristic (but unwarranted) modesty almost prevents the obvious happy union, while the dragon also finds the mate she's long been seeking. As funny, lively, and altogether delightful as its predecessor.